Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
High School Xxx
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: High School Xxx
To be completely honest, at the end of my junior year, I felt ready to be up here. I watched a lot of my friends go through their senior year and felt completely prepared to move on. I could hardly stand the thought of another year at County High School, in what I thought would be stagnant water. At that point in my life, I had no idea how much I had left to learn and how much one more year at County High would mean.
It ended up being, collectively, one of the most amazing experiences I have even had. From the very beginning, it was not what I expected. Boys tennis, never a very strong team at County High, surprised me, and alone was an unforgettable experience. I never envisioned myself playing in the league finals, I was as surprised as anyone, and when I missed out on state, I was as disappointed as anyone. Other activities left their mark; finally being involved in art, finally playing with the jazz band, finally being completely done with pit orchestra. I also never imagined a thing called 'knowledge bowl' could be so much fun. Each activity, in itself, built a memory I will forever hold.
More even than the activities, the people I became close to this year have grown to be cornerstones of who I've become. Most of my good friends graduated last year and I thought I would be lost without them. The situation ended up being the exact opposite, however, and I now cannot imagine what I would be like had I never become close to my good friends now. I have watched myself, and those around me become better, stronger people.
I now can say that I would not give up a second of my time here for anything. The teachers here, the other students, the opportunities and the experiences have made me what I am today.
The last semester of my junior year was mind boggling. I had the amazing opportunity to see First Wave perform at the national Keystone Conference in Orlando, Florida. In awe and inspired, at how poetry, music, storytelling, and hip-hop combined to tackle issues such as conformity and peer pressure. Not only did I want to be a part of the program, I wanted to graduate from the school that they attended as well. To be incorporated in a group of people with strong, creative minds will expose me to how other people view the world and give me experiences that I would not have the opportunity to have anywhere else.
During my time here at Hudson High School, I have learned so much about what I could achieve for myself and I have developed new passions I continue to chase. I have succeeded and grown in many different programs, clubs and on the field hockey team. I have also developed a strong work ethic by being employed almost entirely through these four years.
When I was in elementary school, I loved to read. I was a total nerd back then ... okay maybe I still am, but one thing has changed. Now I don't so much like reading. My favorite poet was Shel Silverstein, who wrote "Where the Sidewalk Ends." He seemed like he was a total hippie, but that's cool because I like hippies. My grandma is a recovering hippie. I like her too. Anyway, Shel Silverstein wrote about the coolest things. He wrote about magical erasers, eating whales and a boy with long hair flying away from people who were taunting him. He captured all of the things that I loved without knowing that I actually loved them. Now you may ask, how does this hippie relate to our graduation? Well, he wrote a poem entitled "Traffic Light" and this is how it goes:
6th grade, and I was saying hello, and now 8th grade has come and it’s gone from introductions to goodbyes as my last days as a middle school student wind down. 8th grade, 8th grade from the opening day to the signing of the yearbooks. This is the year of memories, goodbyes, and regrets. 8th grade and I’m still realizing that there are people in the world that would die to go to a school like this.
South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote, "You are a very special person - become what you are." These words encourage us, the graduating class of 2012, to recognize the goodness and potential in each and every one of us and to go out and excel in the world. We are a diverse group of different aspirations and backgrounds, bound for different corners of the earth to carve out our won individual niches. Before we leave behind Lee Falls High School and each other, we must ask ourselves how we have become who we are.
During this year I learned who my real friends are. I had to cut a lot of people out of my life. It was hard but worth it. I did nothing wrong and they would blame me for things. You want people in your life who push you to do your best everyday and I had some friends who would just tear me down.
When I graduated from McDonough High School, I had everything planned out. I was going to go to a four-year university and study Architectural Engineering. My senior year, my father was diagnosed with stage 3 brain cancer. We didn't know the extent the tumor had done to his brain or how much longer he had to live. This took a big toll on my mother as well as my three sisters. I continued to focus on my studies graduating with honors.
People would tell me “Senior year is amazing, you get to do all these things, and that it is completely different than any other year that you have been in at Amory High School.” You know when your a freshman and a sophmore you may think that is how it's gonna go you think that you will be invisible, but when in reality its different. I would be lying if I said that Senior year hasn't been the best year out of my four years here. It's the same though the only difference is that you have different teachers and every once in a while a new kid comes just trying to make it through just like you. I will miss high school, but this year has taught me so much and has made me realize that I am ready for college and that I am wanting to venture out into the big world.
Talking about my last football games and the senior project makes me think about graduating and leaving La Serna. Lots of people do not want to graduate and move on because they don’t know what is ahead of them. I have been fortunate enough to have three older siblings that have all graduated and moved on in life. I have seen what happens after high school and it is not scary at all.
At the beginning of the year I was not sure if I would make it to graduation. I attended Elkhart Memorial my freshman, sophomore, and first semester of my junior year, which was not the best experience with high school. When I was in junior high, I had a completely different visualization of what it would be. In reality, it was entirely the opposite of what I had pictured it to look like. I was not always the brightest kid in school. I would say that I was above average for my age up until my freshman year.
The past four years have been fun and easy for some and a struggle for others. When I reflect on my high school experience, I think of watching football games, playing softball, homecoming weeks, school trips, parties and time with my friends. Others have spent their time in drama, band, community service, part-time jobs and all sorts of other activities. We have all watched Mr. LHS grow along with us until it became a big part of the high school year. I enjoyed laughing with and at the guys as they showed off their talents. This year’s homecoming football game was one of the most exciting ones we have had, with four quarters and three overtimes when we beat Jackson 48 to 42 for a homecoming victory. No matter what types of experiences we have had, I think they are important to remember and grow from.
Through the last 13 weeks I have learned about whom I am and what makes me who I am. I have made some great friends not only my age but also older and younger than me. I have realized many things about myself that I never would have realized if I wouldn’t have came here. College is a whole new experience that you could never imagine unless you are there. It is nothing like you read or even that you watch on TV. It is completely different and you learn a lot about yourself as a person.
Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Sitting in the backseat of the car, I used to bombard my family with these questions. On our summer road trips I was so anxious for the destination that I failed to appreciate the journey. However, as time passed and I grew older, I realized that it was the journey that was important and not the destination.
Hi, my name is Pat and I would like to start today by thanking the seniors of 2012 for choosing me to speak today. It is truly my honor.
To begin something new, you must sacrifice something old. To enter the real world, you must graduate your childhood.